Hydraulic apparatus for handling well tubing



July l5 192-4.

Ef W. PATTERSON HYDRAULIC APPARATUS FOR HANDLING WELL TUBING Filed April 9, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l BY K A TTORNE Y `uly 15 1924. n 1,501,464

E. W. PATTERSON HYDRAULIC APPARATUS FORl HANDLING WELL TUBING Filed April 9, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented' July.- '15 1924.

. UNITED STATES EDGAR w. PATTERSON, or NORWALK, cALIroaNIA.

HYDRAULIG APPARATUS ron `HANDLING. WELL TUBING.

Application led Apri1.9, 1923. Serial No. 630,849.

To all whom t mag/concern;

Be it known that I, EDGAR lW. PATTERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norwalk, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Apparatus for Handling Well Tubing, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an elevating apparatus and the main object thereof is to provide a hydraulic apparatus particularly useful lfor raising and lowering drill pipe or casing in what isl known as the rotary method of oil well drilling.

The hydraulic jack has been proven in years past to be one of the most powerful and safe elevating ap aratuses known, and it is principally for this reason that I utilize such jack in my new elevating apparatus as'herein disclosed.

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter, .and while I-show herewith and will describe a preferred .form of construction, Il desire tov be4 understood that I do not limit my invention tosuch preferred form, but that various changes and adaptations may be made therein withoutdepartingfrom the spirit of my invention as hereinafter claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1`is a vertical, longitudinal sectionof` an oil well and the hydraulic jack ofmy invention associated with said oil well.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the pumping and pressure plant of my elevating apparatus. Fig. 3 `1s a longitudinal section of one of .the .piston joints.

'In thedrawings.. 1 designates in its entirety' a hydraulic jack, which includes s;

air o verticallyin said cylinders respective y, and 4 `a horizontal cross bar connectedv at its ends respectively to the upper ends of said pistons.

The cylinders 2-2 are mounted within vertical casings 5 5, which are sunk in the earth at diametrically opposite sides of a ,well 6 and equi-distant from the center of said well, said cylinders being embedded in concrete lfoundations 7-7 withinsaid casings 5&5.

Plfe are mounted on beams 9;',

two-.of which teams rest upon the surface of the earth at opposite sides of the upper end of each casing 5,' through which platesextend the cylinders 2,-2 respectively, there being annular flanges 10--10 on said cylinders which rest respectively upon said plates 8-8 and are bolted thereto by bolts 11-11, whereby the cylinders are properly positioned and mounted within the casings 5-5.

-A derrick 12 is mounted above the well, through the floon 13 of which derrick extends the cylinders 2-2 and pistons 3 3, there being stufiing boxes 14-14 on the upper ends of said cylinders just above said oor. i i

An eye 15 isj"secured in the cross bar 4 on the underside of said barand midwabetween the ends thereof coincident wit the center of the well 6.

. .The pistons 3 are constructed of pipe sections 16 joined together by joints 17 which comprise a tubular element 18 formed with an external thread 19 midway of its ends,

half of which is engaged by an .internal thread 20 on one pipe section 16, while the other half thereof is engaged by aninternal thread'21 in the end of the adjoining section 16.

- The pumping and pressure plant of my elevator as shown in Fig. 2 includes an oil storage tank 25, a pum 26, pressure tanks 27, 2s, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39,- 40, 41 and 42, pressure gauges 43. and 44, and pipe connections presently to be described.

An oil inlet pipe 45 leads from the tank 25 to the pump inlet 46 and an oil outlet pipe 47 leads from the pump outlet 48 into said tank. A check valve 49 and an adjustable automatic pressure relief valve 50 are interposed in the pipe 47, said check valve being located near the pump outlet 48 and said relief valve being located between said check valve and the tank 25.

A pipe 51 leads from the pipe 47' at a point 52 between the check valve 49 and relief valve 50 and connects at 53 to a pipe A54, the ends of which connect to the upper part of the jack cylinders 2da-2. A pipe 55 connects to pipe 51 at pointJ 52 and to one end of pressure cylinders27 to 42 inclusive by means o f`pipe connections l56, '56, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63,. 64, 65, 6e,- 67, es, e9, 70 and 71 respectively.. Y, n y y A pipe 72 leads frein the ipe 55V at a 'point 7f3 and connects at a point t4 to the pipe 55 between the connections 67 and 68 for isolating the tanks 39 to 42 inclusive from the tanks 27 to 38 inclusive. A pipe 80 leads from the pipe 51 at a point between valve 76 and point 52 to the pressure gauge c 43. A pipe 81 leads from the pipe 72 at a point between the valve' 77 and polnt 73.

The operation of my invention is as follows: Assuming there are ten 80-ft. stands of drill pipe in the well 6 to be drawn out and a new bit put on and run in again. 1st operation-pulling pipe out of well. The jack l being in its lowermost position an elevator clamp 85`is placed around the upper end of the well casing 86 and said elevator clamp connected to a hook 87 on the lower end of a cable 88 connected at its upper end to a hook 89, which engages the eye 15 in the beam'4. Valve 79 is opened, leaving all sixteen pressure tanks 27 to 42 c' inclusive open to main high pressure line 51.

The pump 26 is put in operation and pressure in said pressure tanks and lines is run up to the desired working pressure, which will be indicated on both gauges 43 and 44. Valve 76 is opened, releasing pressure into hydraulic jack 1 to raise the same and well casing 86. This raising continues for a lift of about ft. until the upper pipe joint comes above the surface of the derrick rotary table 90.

Valve 76 is then closed and the jack and said raised pipe are held by the pressure in said raised position. Said raised stand of pipe is then disconnected from the lower remaining length of pipe and swung to one side and secured in the derrick and the elevator clamp is disconnected from the upper end of said stand.

Valve 78 is now opened, allowing oil to escape from jack l freely into storage tank 25 through pipes 54 and 75, which will cause said jack to descend. lVhen jack reaches its lowermost position, valve 78 is closed, elevator clamp 85 is attached to the upper end of the next' uppermost casing stand. Valve 76 is again opened, causing ]ack and casing to again be raised by the pressure from the pump until said pipe joint 1s above the rotary table 90, which pipe is dlsconnected and stood up in the derrick with the first pipe.

'The above described operations are continued until all of the casing is-drawn from the we ll and stood up in the derrick.

i Durlng. all of `saidoperations pump 26 is 1n operation, `rne'iintainingV pressure in tanks 27 to 42 inclusive. In case pressure should for any reason go above the desired head,

automatic valve 50 will open to release oil to storage tank 25 throughout outlet pipe 47.

2nd operationlowerlng drill pipe back into well.

It will be understood that each 8O ft. stand of drill pipe weighs a proximately 2000 lbs. or one ton. There ore the load bein lowered into well increases with every stan of pipe put in well.

Then in place of releasin the pressure, created in the jack by the load, into the open storage tank 25, it will be stored in the pressure tanks 27 to 38 inclusive, under suicient of its own pressure to again raise the unloaded jack back to its uppermost position.

Valve 79 is closed, separating tanks 27 to 38 inclusive from tanks 39 to 42 inclusive, the latter tanks retaining their high pressure for use in case of emergency. Now valve 77 is opened, releasing pressure into jacks, causing same to rise to the u per position. Then said valve 77 is close holding jack in said raised position. Then the elevator clamp 85 is attached to the upper end of the first 80 ft. stand of drill pipe and.`

said pipe is then ready to be lowered back into the well. Thenby opening valves 78 and 77 and allowing the excess pressure from tanks 27' to 38 inclusive to escape to storage tank 25, until pressure gauge 43 indicates a pressure low enough so that when valve 78 is closed, the weight of the drill pipe suspended by the jack will create a sulcient pressure within the jack to allow the jack to back down against said pressure as indicated by said gauge. Then when the jack is at its lowermost position again, the valve 77 isclosed, holding jack in said position, ,while elevator clam 85 is disengaged from the drill pipe. T en valve 77 is again opened, releaslng pressure which was stored in tanks 27 to 38 by the down trip of jack with the load, which will be sufficient to again raise the unloaded jack to its upper position, and said operations repeated. Said pressure being at all times derived from a head of compressed air in pressure tanks. My elevator may be operated either by oil or water or other suitable liquid.

In case of an emergency if it is desired to raise the casing partly in the well, the valves 77 and 78 may be closed and the valve 76 may be opened to utilize the high pressure in the tanks 39 to 42 inclusive for such purpose.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In an apparatus of the character disclosed, a hydraulic jack, a. fluid pumping and storage plant connected to said jack for pumping luid to a proper pressure for raising said jack to raise aY well casing and for storing'A said compressed fluid and utilizing the same for lowering said casing in its well.

2. In an apparatus as disclosed, a hypumping and storage draulic jack, a fluid said jack, for pumping plant connected to fluid to a proper jack and a well casing connected thereto, for storing said fluid pressure, for utilizing part of said stored fluid pressure, for lowering said casing and for utilizing all of said fluid pressure for raising said casing.

3. In an apparatus as disclosed, a hydraulic jack, a pumping and storage plant connected to said jack, means for utilizing the fluid pressure while being pumped for raising said jack means for shutting off the pump of said plant and allowing the fluid pressure in the jack to escape so that said jack will descend, means for utilizing the stored pressure of said plant, to allow the jack to descend with a load, means for enabling said jack to store pressure as it descends with said load,v and means for pressure for raising vsaid v utilizing said latter stored pressure for raising the jack without a load.

4. In an apparatus as disclosed, a hydraulic jack, av pumping and storage plant connected to said jack, means for utilizing the fluid pressure while being pumped for raising said jack, means for shuttin off the pump of,said plant and allowing tie fluid preure in the jack to escape so that said Jack will descend, means for utilizing the stored pressure of said plant, to allow the jack to descend with a load, means for enabling said jaclq to store pressure as iti descends with said load, and means for utilizing said latter stored ressure for raising the jack without a loa and means for utilizing all of the pressure stored bly said pump and said jack under load for ifting said load.

EDGAR W. PATTERSON. 

